


All or Nothing

by ghosthouses



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fix-It, Kind of just a summary of how I think this would go down in little scenes, M/M, Multi, Polyship Roadtrip, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Vignettes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23076550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghosthouses/pseuds/ghosthouses
Summary: When Gladio is 11 years old, he finds the Crown Prince's scar on his back.(soulmate AU where any skin-breaking injury shows up on your soulmates' skins for a short period)
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 10
Kudos: 226





	All or Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to nonplussed for beta-ing this like 2 months ago. I am finally posting it now after forgetting about it. 
> 
> Also the thing with Gladio's face scar is supposed to happen when he's 18 but I moved it up to Noct being 18 because I thought it worked better.

When Gladio is 11 years old, he finds the Crown Prince's scar on his back. At least, that’s what he thinks it is, because his dad told him what happened to Noctis and where. He’s already hearing stories of people trying to fake it to say they’re the prince’s soulmate but he really thinks his might be real. He doesn’t know who to tell, though; his dad will probably say it’s a coincidence and his school friends are going to think he’s crazy. So he asks Ignis Scientia for help, because even though he doesn't know him very well, he seems really smart and coming clean to the Prince's future advisor (who would probably consider it his job to weed out fakes) seems like the most honest way to deal with this. 

When Gladio turns back around after showing Ignis the mark, Ignis is very still and quiet. Gladio feels his stomach turn, like it means something really bad that he hadn't thought about. He starts to ask what it is when Ignis turns around and lifts his own shirt to show him an identical mark on his own back.

“It’s yours?” Gladio gasps.

“No, someone else.”

“It’s Noctis.”

“I’m not sure, I didn’t see it. We shouldn’t tell him.”

"Why?"

"It's..." Ignis shakes his head. "We could be wrong. We should wait until we have proof."

Gladio nods. Ignis is smart. They don't tell anyone. It takes Gladio a little while to realize that, oh yeah, _Ignis_ is his soulmate, though it takes a few more years and puberty before they do anything about it. 

Gladio never gets tired of watching Ignis in public, when he’s poised, sharp, and unflappable, knowing he can take him apart when they’re alone. And Ignis -- devious, inventive, and wicked -- always keeps him on his toes, or more accurately, his knees. 

They’re pretty sure their third is Noctis as more evidence mounts, but agree to let him figure it out himself. And their relative stations might always make it impossible. Perhaps two can be enough. 

#

"Alright, Specs, knock it off," Noctis says when they're in the car, tossing Ignis back his jacket. As soon as Gladio had the drunk under the control, Ignis had thrown it over Noctis to hide him and get him away from the scene. Pretty standard avoiding public attention stuff, but Ignis had been weird about keeping him hidden even when they were away from the crowd and surrounded by the Crownsguard. He must have really been shaken up by the attack.

"I can't believe that guy," Noctis says. Then, "Gladio's fine, right?" Then, "Wait, Iggy, your face -- he got you too? When did..." A pause. "You guys are _soulmates?_ "

Ignis grimaces.

"Why didn't you tell me? How long have you known? Wait, did you not know?"

"Noct, slow down." Ignis says, with a sigh.

"You knew! Does he know? Why didn't you tell me!"

Ignis ignores him, grabbing the rearview mirror and tilting it towards Noctis. "Better for you to see this now rather than when you're home alone."

"What the _fuck_."

#

Noctis is pretty mad for awhile -- he agrees that eight was too young but they still could have told before _eighteen_. He keeps saying how much better high school would have been. Gladio tells him if he was more observant he would have noticed when their training bruises matched up.

He gets over it, because he absolutely, definitely wants in, royal expectations be damned. Noctis is inexperienced and demanding but they are patient with him and honestly, he thinks it’s what they want. More importantly, it gives them the opportunity to put him in his place which, honestly, is what he wants. It soon becomes invaluable to him, a comfort against the growing burden of his destiny and he can’t imagine having a shield and an advisor he isn’t allowed to touch. And Gladio admits now that it would never have been right without him. 

Now that they're all together and Noctis is paying more attention (because it's pretty cool to see the marks appear), they realize there's marks that don't come from any of them.

"Another one." Ignis says, in disbelief.

"Another one!" Noctis echoes, excited.

"Maybe we're gonna break a record." Gladio suggests. "Could be more than one."

"Maybe it's Luna." Noctis says, a little sheepish, after they've digested the possibility of four or five soulmates.

"The poor woman." Ignis shakes his head.

#

"Prompto, are you ok?"

"Yeah, it's nothing." Prompto takes Noctis' offered hand and stands up. He took the claw of a voretooth to the chest, but it's a glancing cut, he barely feels it. "Gonna need a new shirt though."

"Gladio, did you get hit, too?" Ignis asks and Prompto suddenly remembers how Gladio never wears a shirt and holds his breath. He knew this would happen eventually -- thank the gods that it's Prompto with the injury so there's no doubt. Noctis looks back and forth between them.

"You didn't come to school the day after Gladio got cut on his face."

"Soul marks last a long time for me because I'm so pale!" He says, like that’s an answer. He can feel his face getting warm and can't even look at Gladio. And then he keeps talking, like an idiot. "I wasn't sure and I didn't want you to think I was... I don't know, trying to fake it?"

"Prompto." Noctis says, a laugh in his voice. And then he kisses him. Which -- ok, cool, but also: why? Do kings get their shield's soulmates?

When Prompto freezes, Noctis pulls back, also confused, and Ignis groans and shakes his head.

"Oh yeah." Noctis says and lifts his shirt up. Prompto's eyes get big. It’s only his greatest dream come true, no big deal. He lets himself look at Gladio now, who's laughing, then back to Noctis, then follows both of their eyes to Ignis.

"I'm not -- Fine." Ignis starts to unbutton his shirt. Prompto's eyes get even bigger. Turns out he was not dreaming hard enough. 

They lose about a week initiating Prompto. He can’t believe all the things he gets to do with them; he doesn’t say no to anything and is so grateful to have a family that he thinks it’ll be years before he can properly express it. Noctis can’t stop kissing him and it’s _amazing._

#

After some more observation, they conclude that it's only four after all. But it’s complete now, Prompto was the earnest, eager energy they were missing. Three really seems ridiculously stingy now. 

#

One day, Prompto asks suddenly, "Why did you let him get a _tattoo?_ I had to wear sleeves for months!"

#

After a long fight with a group of liches in Steyliff Grove, Noctis lifts his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. When he looks up again, Prompto is pointing at him, so he looks down to see a long soul mark from his chest to his navel. They both look at Ignis, only to find him uninjured. Without a second of hesitation, Prompto whips his own shirt off and Noctis comes over to see it closer. Ignis, meanwhile, attempts to look down into his own shirt to investigate.

"What, all three of you?" Aranea asks, laughing. Then she narrows her eyes. "Wait, who got hit, I didn’t see ...oh. Huh."

"Do you think he's ok?" Prompto shuffles back and forth until Noctis grabs his arms to hold him still.

"It doesn't look deep." Ignis says, giving up trying to be discreet and joining Noctis to look at Prompto.

"Could be more?" Noctis frowns. Then he starts unbuttoning Prompto's jeans.

"Alright!" Aranea says over her shoulder as she walks to another hallway. "I’ll be over here when you’re done."

#

If Ignis is grateful for anything (besides the fact that his king is _alive)_ , it's that Noctis sleeps through the soul marks of Ignis’ new scars. He keeps thinking about how they must all look with them, until he starts to worry that will be the final version of them in his mind, forever.

In bed, Ignis finds himself unthinkingly touching the spot on Gladio's face where the mark would be, and then whispers an apology. Gladio kisses him, brushing his nose against his on his way in.

"Don't."

Prompto presses into Ignis from behind. "This way, we can share it with you."

#

Noctis spends most of Gralea using Gladio as a guide for what's happening to Prompto. When they get separated, he checks himself in each safe room he finds. At first, the light bruising and shallow cuts give him hope, then it worries him. There's too many ways he could be hurt that wouldn’t show up on his skin. 

#

They separate during the long night for long periods, their use of the king’s magic making them too valuable to keep bunched up. Gladio has a well-established ritual of cross-referencing text message updates with changes to his skin and it’s helped him save Prompto’s life more than once. He’s never mad, he’s only doing what he has to. This is bigger than them now, there’s no choice. 

#

"In the Crystal..." Noctis starts, then pauses to gather his thoughts. He stares into the campfire. "In the Crystal, I could feel you guys, sometimes. Like if you were hurt, I could feel it, and I would try to share it or take it away. And send back..." It feels strange to say it out loud. "I don't know. Maybe I was imagining it."

"No," Prompto says. He's stopped crying now. "I felt it. I think."

Gladio nods. Ignis says nothing at first, then quietly, almost to himself: "I didn't let myself believe it."

There's a long silence, only the fire crackling between them. Noctis takes a deep breath. "I never really thought about what it meant that I had three soulmates. If it was a coincidence or if it was something about my fate. If it meant we could... share it. If we did it together and no one had to die. But it might not work. Or it might kill us all. We…” How do you ask something like this? “Nevermind. It's not worth it."

Ignis's gloves creak as he grips his chair. "Did you just present me with an opportunity to save you and then suggest that I am not _permitted to use it?_ "

"I don't know if it will work! I can't -- if you _all_ died --"

"Don't you _dare_." Ignis hisses.

"Yeah," Prompto says, "We have to try."

"All or nothing," Gladio agrees.

Noctis stands up, because there’s no more words and he needs to be closer to them. Prompto gets to him first, then Gladio and they bring him to Ignis. They make tonight count, just in case. 

#

“Oof.”

“What?” 

Prompto slows down to a walk on the treadmill and points to the webbing between his middle and ring finger. Gladio lowers the barbell down onto the rack and checks his own hand.

“Oof.” He agrees. “I bet that shit hurts.”

“He’s gotta be so mad.” Prompto pulls his phone out of his pocket. “He was so happy when we found a braille printer in the basement. I bet he forgot paper cuts even existed.”

“Are you gonna text him?”

“Yeah, should I be like, too sympathetic or actually sympathetic?”

“He’ll be bad if we’re too nice. Make it sound like we’re gonna drop everything to go help him.”

“Ha! Ok.”

Prompto’s about to put his phone down and put his earbuds back in when he gets a response. He laughs. “It’s not Iggy!”

“What? You mean His Royal Pain in the Ass is actually doing his job?”

“Yeah!” Prompto’s phone keeps buzzing. “Iggy is so excited that he’s telling me not to tell Noct how excited he is. I don’t think he’s texted me this many times in a row since…” He frowns. “Well, I think he thought I was dead.”

“Sounds about right.”

“You know what this means, big guy?”

“What?”

“So much dessert.”

“Oh, hell yeah.”

Prompto leans over to give him a high five. “Life is good, dude!”

“Yeah.” Gladio chuckles. “It is.”


End file.
